[Players Would Be Teleported Into the Next Stage in 5 seconds!]
[Don't Go Fishing!]
As the teleportation light faded, a wave of cold air settled in.
Fèi Míng blinked once at the sudden change. The theater's backroom extended out in long white rectangle walls. The other remaining players stood eerily still.
[Welcome to the Backstage! Get ready for the next act!]
He looked around the spaceful room. A single rack of costumes lined in straight rows right at the far edge of the room. The clothes hung stiff, filled with some accessories, or possibly props for aesthetics.
[Pick a costume!]
However, no one wanted to take a step closer to the costume sets. They all cowered back, stepping over each other's feet.
Fèi Míng cocked his head slightly. Something seemed off.
The way the clothes were arranged… with only one rack of clothes, which meant only one thing.
It's limited.
Still, he stepped closer, brushing his fingers along a sleeve. A few other players gasped, but neither did they try to stop him.
The fabric felt thin and dry, almost brittle. The collar had tiny punctures arranged in neat rows. He shifted it in his hands, checking the seams.
"…Roleplay?" he muttered quietly. "Hooks."
Olive grunted behind him. "Dude… don't just run off like that..." His gaze turned to the clothes. "Oh. It's just costumes," he announced, gaining the approval and assurance of the players behind them to walk over.
He then reached toward a vivid outfit hanging near the front. A deep red coat, polished brass buttons, sleeves trimmed with yellow strips. The loud colors looked like the costume of a town crier, complete with a tiny bell tied to the collar.
Fèi Míng grabbed Olive's wrist before he could pull it off the rack. "Don't pick that."
Olive inclined his head. "Why not?"
"You don't always judge a book by its cover. Pick something less noticeable." His voice stayed flat.
"Do you even know what game we're about to play? Why should I listen to someone who screamed his malnourished ass off the last game?"
Fèi Míng took offense at that. His brows furrowed. "Suit yourself then."
'What a waste of effort.' Sighing as he checked other fits.
Olive clicked his tongue but moved toward a more average outfit. His mind replayed what the malnourished looking boy had said. 'What if this game wasn't a fashion show? Each hell so far had been twisted in its narrative. What if?—'
'Oh, screw it. Better safe than nothing.'
He chose a rugged brown vest, plain white shirt, and faded trousers.
[19 outfits left!]
"What? 19?!" Someone yelled.
Turning around, Olive examined the players' frightened faces. He looked back at the clothes left in the rack. 'If there's 19 costumes left… that meant…'
'Only 20 players would get the tacky clothes and the 36 remaining are left out.'
…
"Get the FUCK out of my way!!!"
The rest of the room dissolved into chaos. All swarmed the rack, shoving, grabbing at sleeves, yelling, dragging costumes off hangers.
Someone punched another player in the jaw over a blue jester vest. Another got kicked in the stomach trying to steal a robe.
No one knew what would happen to those left out.
Fèi Míng moved through them, squeezing himself out the crowd as he clutched his own outfit.
By the end of it, he stood with a costume that was annoyingly bright. A deep green coat, embroidered edges, a sash folded across the chest.
[18 outfits left!]
It wasn't the worst piece, but it wasn't subtle either.
Olive raised an eyebrow. "Thought you said to pick something dull."
"There were… limited options," he replied, slightly dragging his pronunciation.
Ding!
[All 20 outfits have been claimed!]
[Wear your assigned costumes.]
The room went silent, then filled with the sound of frantic undressing. However, a lady, clutching her costume in her hands mustered the courage to shout: "I can't just be bare and naked in PuBlic?! Where's the decency?"
One man scoffed. "The hell you talking about? No one's looking at your flat ass. Be grateful you got a costume and FUCK off!"
"My ass isn't flat, thank you. Still, you men must turn around and give us women some privacy to dress up. I don't want your tiny ass dic—"
Another lady with a bob cut slapped a palm across her face. "C-come on Eris. No one really has the time to stare while we undress, please don't cause a scene." Her words shook out of her mouth.
Eris scowled. "But Nyx—!"
"Come on, I'll shield you while you undress."
Nyx latched into her arm as she dragged Eris out of the spotlight. "Please, forgive her rudeness."
Fèi Míng examined them. They must be a bit above his age, 20 maybe, since Eris had a more refined matured face. 'They must be close.' He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off.
The cold air crept across his skin. Old pale scars ran along his torso, crossing over newer ones. Olive noticed but said nothing.
As he pulled the costume pants up, a shadow slid behind him.
"Wow…"
Pinboy's voice was way too close.
Fèi Míng etched a brow.
Pinboy leaned forward from behind him, pink hair brushing his shoulder. His gaze dragged down Fèi Míng's back, unashamed. "How'd you get those scars? They look… hot." His voice dipped lower, and he bit his lower lip with clear delight.
Fèi Míng tightened the sash around his waist without turning. "Stare all you want. But why come closer?"
"Mmm… why should I not? You look so cool~" Pinboy closed the gap between them, his breath warm against the back of Fèi Míng's neck. His eyes lifted to Fèi Míng's face. "Your pupils are dark now. But I swear I saw a hint of red last game." His fingers lifted, reaching for Fèi Míng's cheekbone.
Fèi Míng caught his wrist. 'He fucking gyrates and shine like a disco ball.'
He lowered his gaze down to pinboy's stitched shirt. 'Why pins?' Then stared at his starlit face. 'His brightness nauseates me.'
"I don't know if you're about to kiss me or rip my face off."
Pinboy grinned wider. "Which one do you prefer?"
"Neither." Fèi Míng shoved his hand away. "Move. I'm covering up."
Pinboy pouted, but he stepped back — barely an inch — his doe eyes lingering on his new found entertainment before he too, dressed in his costume.
"So…where you from? Red Zone? You've got that rough look. Especially the scars and um… your worn clothes."
Fèi Míng ignored him, now wearing his coat over his oversized suit.
"I'm from a Gray Zone!" Pinboy continued.
"Games appear just once a week there. Boring, right? But my cousin's in the Citadel zone now. Lucky bastard. Only one game every three months. And with the awakeners, they won't even lift a finger!"
Fèi Míng eyed him. "So why are you here?"
"Oh!" Pinboy grinned. "Cuz it's super expensive to enter. Once I'm done with this game, I'm pawning off my prizes for cash and relocating!"
'That's if you survive.'
Ding!
[Role Assignment Complete!]
'Role huh?'
[Teleporting All 20 Players To The Next Stage.]
Some player panicked. "Wait! What about us without a role?! It's not our fault we don't have one!"
"What happens if you don't have a role—?!"
Their voices stacked until the system cut them off:
[There Is Always A Role For Everyone!]
[The remaining 36 players are assigned: Hostages.]
[Welcome to the Mini Game: Puppet Show!]
The white backroom disintegrated around them. A sudden shift in pressure and a short pull in their stomachs as everything materialized into a different environment.
They landed on solid wood.
The rectangular Runic board hovered above the center of the stage. Its runes shifted into place one by one until the text settled.
[Show Name: Lawless City.]
Rows of empty red seats faced them. Red curtains hung on both sides. The air was warmer here, enough to feel sticky against their costumes. Fèi Míng adjusted the oversized Mayor coat on his shoulder.
Suddenly, the 36 others players appeared on each seat. Their feet and hands bound in tight ropes as one screamed. "HELP!"
The runic board appeared again above the stage.
[Follow your assigned role and script.]
[Clothes are fitted with punishment hooks and strings!]
[Each violation triggers limb damage.]
[Refusal to act your role will result in 5 hostage deaths.]
[Do not tamper with your strings! Any damage caused to the strings would lead to death.]
'So we're the puppets.'
A few people reached for their collars.
The thin threads attached to their hooks swayed from the movement.
Fèi Míng kept his eyes on the board. His posture stayed relaxed even though the coat didn't sit right on him.
A new set of runes displayed.
[PLOT: In the lawless city, a well-known man was found dead in his mansion.]
[Soon after, more cases of similar deaths sprung up, and the investigator has to reach the end of the trails to put a stop to the murders.]
[The show ends when the Villain is caught.]
[To initiate the script; Act 1: The Hanging Man, must trigger the incident.]
The theatre stage lighting suddenly shifted to a middle-aged man.
[Scene 1: The role: Hanging Man, dies.]
[Put on a good show!]
The man gulped, trembling. His eyes widened when he gnashed his teeth. "You expect me to k-kill myself?!" His voice cracked as he took a step back. "No. No, you can't make me do that. Th-this shit is real. I'm not doing that!"
His shout carried through the theatre.
[Failure to act your role will result in 5 hostages death and impalement, applied to all roles.]
[Time limit: 45 minutes.]
"That's bullshit!"
Fèi Míng shifted his coat again. The fabric slid crookedly along his spine.
Pinboy popped behind him once more. His arm rested lazily on Fèi Ming's shoulder. He fiddled with his army outfit while grinning as he said. "Why don't we all reveal our roles, hmm~ It's more fun for everyone who cooperates! I'll go first."
He opened his system's screen, reading our loud. "I'm 'the Soldier.' It says my cute role here is to follow the Mayor's orders." He squinted his eyes, staring at Fèi Míng. "And carry out all his requests no matter what it is."
Fèi Míng looked down on his system.
[Role: Mayor.]
[The Mayor twists the order of justice and kills five characters to bury a secret.]
'How bothersome.' He sighed. 'However, this is perfect to test my Path… and see as many expressions as I want.'
"I'm 'The Mayor'." He announced, lowering his gaze to the angry middle aged man.
"And, you're wasting our time. If you refuse to act your role, you put the rest of us, and the hostages in danger."
The man snapped toward him. Although, taking many steps away from Fèi Míng and Pinboy. "Shut up! You don't get it— why would I fucking kill myself just for the game?!" He clutched his head.
"The fuck?! Ha! I'd rather take you all down with me if I have to!"
The threads above the man tightened slightly, enough for him to feel the pull along his back.
He swallowed hard.
Fateless dark gaze never left the man's. He wanted to smile, the edges of his lips pulling up. 'Such a lovely death I'm about to see. I need the test my first theory then.'
He turned to Pinboy. "Kill him."